Team GB go head to head with Cornwall's finest rowers

Team GB rowers all set to face Cornwall's best gig racing girls in St Mawes this September.

Team GB's Olympic rowers will tough it out against Cornwall's best gig rowers in a one-off spectacular in St Mawes this September.

Fresh off the back of their success at London 2012, the world-famous Team GB rowers, including Cornwall's golden-girl Helen Glover, will be swapping the sliding seats of Eton Dorney for tradional Cornish Pilot Gigs and the seas of St Mawes.

The rowing community divides into the precision masters of technique of the sliding seat world – which is what Team GB rowers use and the brute strength and endurance of the fixed seat crews – which is what the traditional Cornish gig rowers compete in.

On Wednesday, September 12 these two worlds will collide where the Team GB professionals take on the dedicated Cornish amateurs in a series of races turning the calm waters off St Mawes into the ultimate battleground.

The unique event has been devised and organised by Cornish-born Olympic rower Annie Vernon.

Golden girls

Great Britain’s Olympic rowers - including Newlyn’s-own Helen Glover as well as fellow gold medallists Heather Stanning and Sophie Hosking - will take on the South West’s ﬁnest gig rowers in a battle to decide who reigns supreme on the waters.

Annie Vernon says: 'Now that the Olympics are over I'm really excited to bring some of the British Olympic rowers down to Cornwall to take on the county's gig rowers.

'This is our chance to see which rowers can triumph, and also to show off what's great about our county and one of our most popular sports.

'I hope as many people as possible can come down to watch the action and get involved.'

The challenge will start at 5.00pm with a series of three races starting at 6.00pm, hosted by Roseland Gig Club, in this free to watch challenge, then back on land all-comers can test themselves against the GB’s best on rowing machines.